University of California Publications
in
Zoology
Volume 5, Number 1, pages 1-170, Plates 1-24 ..... December 31, 1908

THE BIOTA
OF THE
SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS

BY
JOSEPH GRINNELL.

(Contribution from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California.)

and

Revised, Edited, Conclusion
BY
ROBERT VAN DE HOEK
Sierra Club and Wetlands Action Network
(Contribution for educational and scientific purposes)
©2003

CONTENTS

Introduction; Itinerary .................................................................................................. 1
Life Zones of the Region, with lists of plants belonging to each ........................ 3
Description of Localities, with special reference to the faunal complexion of each place ... 7
General Considerations: A discussion relating to bird population and the influences modifying it ... 22
Some Plants of the Region: A list of important species with notes on their distribution ... 28
The Birds: A list of 139 species found in the region with a detailed record of distribution ... 50
The Mammals: A list of 35 species detected in the region with statements of distribution ... 134
The Reptiles: A list of the 20 species observed, with notes on food, habits, and range ... 160

INTRODUCTION
The San Bernardino mountains proper constitute the largest high mountains group in southern California, and include the highest peak south of Mt. Whitney. The forested area is more extensive than elsewhere in southern California, and promised a more abundant fauna. Furthermore the isolation of this mountain group from any other of approximately similar altitude afforded an attractive fauna. My interest therefore centered in this region, and I carried on investigations with the purpose of ascertaining the composition of its fauna, and local distribution of the component species.

I was assisted during the season of 1905 by Mr. Joseph Dixon, and during 1906 and 1907, my wife and certain students from Throop Institute were with me at various times and rendered much assistance.

The following is a brief outline of my itinerary: In 1905 we entered the region June 10, by the way of Mentone and the lower Santa Ana Cañon. After working up over the Clarke's ranch road to Seven Oaks, we pushed on through to the valley of the upper Santa Ana to the mouth of Fish Creek, where we maintained a base camp until July 6. In the interim, San Gorgonio peak, Dry lake, and the cienega at the head of the South Fork were visited.

From July 6 to 14 .....until July 27 .... From that date to August 3rd, we camped at Bear Lake, then traveled east through Bear Valley and around Baldwin lake to Doble, where we stayed until August 9th. ... August 14 to 17th we spent at Cactus Flat; then went to Doble and across Baldwin lake (then dry) to the north base of Sugarloaf.......[to be compiled fully later by R.J. van de Hoek]

In 1906, the region was entered June 9th by the Mill Creek route to Skinner's, thence over the Mountain Home trail to Seven Oaks. Base camp was made on the upper Santa Ana at the mouth of the South Fork, and from here, Dollar Lake, Dry Lake, San Gorgonio peak and Sugar-loaf were visited at different times. On August 6th, my field work for that year ended.

In 1907, I arrived in the region June 13, and again camped on the upper Santa Ana, at the mouth of the South Fork, until July 12, then three miles further down towards Seven Oaks, near the Cedar Cabin. Dry lake and San Gorgonio peak were again visited, and I left the mountains for good on August 22. During this season a large share of the time was spent in compiling the present report.

LIFE ZONES OF THE REGION
The lower Sonoran zone, the upper Sonoran zone, the Transition zone and at least the two lower divisions of the Boreal zone are represented in the San Bernardino mountain region.

The lower Sonoran occupies the Mojave desert plateau,........[to be compiled later by Robert Jan van de Hoek].

In the following list I have included only plants of the most conspicuous kinds, for plants are the best indicators of zones. Throughout the lists of plants, birds, mammals, and reptiles, I have refered to the habitat of species by zones, wherever practicable. I have often ignored the straggling occurrence of a plant or animal in one zone when its characteristic habitat is another zone.

LOWER SONORAN
Yucca arborescens
Populus fremontii
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Grayia spinosa
Platanus racemosa
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Prosopsis juliflora
Covillea tridentata
Lycium andersonii wrightii
Ramona polystachya

UPPER SONORAN
Juniperus occidentalis
Pseudotsuga macrocarpa
Pinus coulteri
Pinus monophylla
Ephedra viridis
to be completed later

TRANSITION
Juniperus occidentalis
Abies concolor
Libocedrus decurrens
to be completed later

BOREAL
Pinus murrayana
Pinus flexils
Veratrum californicum
Populus tremuloides
Castanopsis sempervirens
to be completed later

DESCRIPTIONS OF LOCALITIES
LOWER SANTA ANA CANYON.
The Lower Sonoran zone prevails in the wash below the exit of the Santa Ana river from the foothills near Mentone....to be continued..........

MOUNTAIN HOME CANYON
A much-used route into the San Bernardino mountains is by the way of Redlands, up Mill creek to Skinner's, and from there up Mountain Home creek, over the divide, and down into the upper Santa Ana.....to be continued......

SEVEN OAKS
Seven Oaks is a summer resort on the upper Santa Ana at an elevation of 5000 feet. It is the north base of San Bernardino Peak, on the opposite side of the stream. to be continued .......

UPPER SANTA ANA CANYON
The upper Santa Ana river flows west through a broad valley,...to be continued.

DRY LAKE
At 9000 feet altitude, situated among the ridges at almost the very base of San Gorgonio peak, and almost due north of it, lies Dry Lake. It is so called because during dry seasons what water there is seeps away entirely through the loose moraine material composing its basin. But during 1905, 1906, and 1907 the lake has been constantly full, and overflowing most of the time in summer. to be continued....

DOLLAR LAKE
Dollar lake is a much smaller body of water than Dry lake. As its basin is small and situated at the foot of a steep mountain wall, down which talus material is constantly sliding, it looks as though its existence will come to an end before long. Dollar lake is in the right-hand head of the South Fork at 9200 feet altitude, and about two miles in an air-line due west of Dry lake. Its faunal surroundings are purely Boreal.

SAN GORGONIO PEAK
San Gorgonio peak, or as it is more familiarly known in southern California, Grayback, is the highest point of the San Bernardino mountains, and in fact, of California south of the Mt. Whitney region in the southern Sierra Nevada. The elevation of San Gorgonio Peak, as given by the U.S. Geological Survey, is 11,485 feet above the sea. From it can be distinguished the San Pedro Martir moutanins of Lower California, the San Francisco mountains of Arizona, Mt. Whitney, and the Pacific ocean, with a vast .................. to be continued.

BLUFF LAKE
The ridge separating Bear valley from the valley of the upper Santa Ana is cut off to the west by the deep cañon of Bear Creek, which below joins the Santa Ana. The crest of this ridge is broad and rolling, and in its western portion varies from 7500 to 8000 feet in altitude. Bluff lake is a locality-name applied to the neighborhood of a large meadow at about 7500 feet altitude a little to the north of the crest of the ridge, and about midway between Clarke's ranch on the south and Bear lake to the north. There is no "bluff" at Bluff lake, nor is there a "lake," though at the west end of the big meadow there is a tule-filled pond which is probably the remnant of what was once a small lake. The meadow is used as a pasture, and at the south margin is Thurman's "hotel," which is supplied with good water from a spring.. Parts of the big meadow are wet and grown to veratrum and other plants of the upper Transition cienegas. The whole region is very well watered, most of the swales being floored by cienegas; and at the north, towards Bear lake where the slope steepens, numerous small streams have formed shallow ravines. The region is further characterized by rather heavy timber, consisting of silver fir, and yellow pine, with some sugar pine, tamarack pine (chiefly around the margin of the meadow), and incense cedar (mostly down towards Bear lake). ................

BEAR VALLEY
Bear valley comprises something like 16 square miles of nearly level plateau at from 6750 to 7000 feet altitude. Its trend is east-and-west and it is bordered by ridges. At its eastern end is the derpession occupied by the shallow or often altogether dry Baldwin Lake; while its west end is occupied by Bear lake impounded by the artificial Bear valley dam. The lake is some 5.5 miles long by a mile or less in width, and empties westward over or through the dam into Bear creek, which in turn flows into the lower Santa Ana. Over half of its area at the east end is so shallow as to be more or less marshy, and this portion is the breeding place of numerous mudhens and American eared grebes, besides a few ducks and perhaps other water birds. Around Bear lake, up Rathbone creek, and on the south side of Baldwin Lake, are several thousand acres of pasture land, interspersed with large areas of sage brush. The pine forest which clothes the walls of the valley in but few places encroaches on the level floor of the valley. Occasionally the latter is punctuated by solitary western juniper, or yellow pine. Among mammals the two chipmunks (Eutamias specious and Callospermophilus bernardinus) were common through the woods and in places down to the shore of the lake. Ground squirrels were numerous in the pastures, and trapping showed the presence of many Sonora white-footed mice in the sage tracts. My visits at Bear lake and through Bear valley were too late in the summer for the determination of the breeding land birds. Considerable numbers of species and individuals were present, but a good many of them were plainly visitants from various directions. (See plates 5, 18, 4A).

SUGARLOAF (North Side)
Sugarloaf, 9842 feet in altitude, is the highest point of the mountain north of the Santa Ana river. It is at the east end of the ridge which separates Bear valley and the depression occupied by Baldwin lake from the valley of the upper Santa Ana. The north base of Sugarloaf merges into the gentle slope leading down to Baldwin lake, at about 7500 feet altitude. This gentle slope is a typical sage flat. The hills to the east are largely upper Sonoran in spite of the high altitude; for this is on the side influenced by the desert ari currents, and shut off from the cooling Pacific breezes. It is a very arid region, too. A small stream gushes out at the upper end of the sage flat, and a cienega of a few acres relieves the saginess along its course; but it shortly soaks away. I found one spring (in August) on the north side of Sugarloaf, in the deepest cañon on the east side. There are .... Out on the sage flat Ammosperophilus leucurus and Perodipus agilis formed a curious association of mammals and both at a very high altitude............

DOBLE
Doble is a deserted mining town just east of Gold mountain and north of Baldwin Lake. It is about 6900 feet in altitude, in the sage and piñon and service-berry. The antelope chipmunk, Merriam kangaroo rat, and desert jackrabbit show the desert nature of the mammal fauna. Among birds, two species were more abundant in this vicinity than anywhere else we went, the piñon jay and Brewer sparrow. ............The region is extremely arid, and the few drinking places, water piped from wells, were the points where the birds of the region were sure to be seen, if hard to find elsewhere. ...............

SARAGOSSA SPRINGS
Saragrossa springs is at an elevation of 7500 fet on the southwest side of Gold mountain............

HOLCOMB VALLEY
Holcomb valley, altitude 7200 to 7500 feet, is very similar in faunal and floral complexion to Bear Valley........

CUSHENBERRY SPRINGS
Cushenberry springs is at the north base of the San Bernardino mountains.......

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
BIRD POPULATION AND ITS MODIFYING INFLUENCES
In the coastal lowlands of southern California a condition manifests itself which has been commented upon several times, but which..................

SOME PLANTS OF THE REGION
The observer of animals must familiarize himself to some extent with the flora of the region in which he works. For the ...............

Juniperus occidentalis Hooker
The western juniper was a common tree in the more arid parts of the region. It occurred sparingly on the upper Santa Ana, and more abundantly around Sugarloaf and the high ridge to the eastward as high as 9500 feet altitude, where very large examples were seen. In Bear valley it was conspicuous, because often isolated on the sage flats. Around Doble and Gold mountain and down the desert slope past Cactus Flat, 6000 feet altitude, it was common. I should consider it a native of arid Upper Sonoran and Transition (See pl.4A).

THE BIRDS
The author of this paper was more interested in the birds than in any other class of animals; hence during each of the three summer's work more attention was paid to birds, with the result that the bulk of the report pertains to them. Over 1200 birds' skins (1261, to be exact) were obtained, as well as many nests and eggs, and the bulk of these are now a part of the author's cabinet series. One hundred and thirty-nine species were detected in the region, of which specimens were secured of 121 species. Those not secured wre mostly such large as turkey vulture, golden eagle, western red-tailed hawk, and some of the water birds. It is believed that extremely few birds escaped detection. Yet I failed to find several species which probably occur in the region now, or which have occurred there within recent times, namely: pigmy owl, spotted owl, California condor, band-tailed pigeon, and Lewis woodpecker. I refer, of course, to suspected breeding species. Of the 139 species I found in the region, 48 are believed to be permanently resident, 68 summer visitants, and 23 transients only. It is certain that all-year observations would add many more transients, besides a large list of winter visitants.

The ornis of the San Bernardino mountains, in common with that of the other high mountains of southern California, bears closest resemblance to that of the Sierra Nevada of east central California. A tendency toward increase in siz of such San Bernardino species as are subject to geographical variation is quit noticeable; so that in certain cases, such as the hermit thrush and creeper, the San Bernardino birds are somewhat intermediate in the direction of the Rocky Mountain races. Other species, like the Stephns fox sparrow and gray flycatcher, show large size, but are without parallels in the Rocky Mountain region. With variable birds in the mountain systems of California, there seems to be a general increase in size from the north towards the south, a reversal of the case on the Atlantic coast.

Colymbus californicus (Heermann) American Eared Grebe.
American eared grebes were met with in only one place, on Bear lake. Here from July 28 to August 3, 1905, adults, and young of various sizes, could be seen or heard on the marshy east end of the lake at almost any hour of the day or night.

One of the most interesting sights on the lak was that of an old grebe swimming about with one and often even two young on her, or his back; for the two parents wre equally attentiv to their young.

Although very young grebes were seen daily swimming about with their parents........

Ten adults and ten young were secured and preserved...........

The adult with the brightest chestnut on th sides is a male, .....

Sterna forsteri Nuttall. Forster Tern.
Forster terns were seen daily from July 28 to August 2, 1905, flying back and forth over the marshy east end of Bear Lake. Four adults were secured, but we obtained no evidence that the species was breeding; yet this was altogether possible.

Hydrochelidon surinamensis (Gmelin). Black Tern
A single individual of this species was seen several times over the east end of Bear lake, July 30, 1905. It was usually flying in the wake of a company of Forster terns, as they coursed up and down the marsh on foraging expeditions. A tern likes company, even if of another species.

Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus. Mallard.
A pair of mallards were seen June 12, 1905, in Bear creek near its confluence with the Santa Ana. These were the only ones positively identified, the male being secured. We saw what we felt confident were mallards on Bear lake.

Nettion carolinensis (Gmelin). Green-winged Teal.
A small flock ..........

Querqudulal cyanoptera (Vieillot). Cinnamon Teal.
Cinnamon teal were seen on the marshy east end of Bear lake, where an adult male was secured, July 30, 1905, and a brood of small young seen.

Erismatura jamaicensis (Gmelin). Ruddy Duck
Several male ruddy ducks were seen on Bear lake,..........

Ardea herodias herodias Linnaeus. Great Blue Heron.
At the east end of Bear lake, July 30 to August 2, 1905, we saw several times a great blue heron flying up or down the marsh.

THE MAMMALS
The majority of the 812 specimens of mammals (skins with skulls) from the San Bernardino mountains were taken during the three months of continuous work in th summer of 1905. Mr. Joseph Dixon, my assistant that year, deserves especial credit for his industry ............

Bears have long since disappeared throughout the region. We were told by old residents that both "grizzlies" and "brown" bears used to abound in these mountains. But the distinction between "brown" bears and "grizzlies" in the average mountaineer's mind, in this section at least, I found to be rather cloudy.

Mountain sheep (Ovis nelsoni?) are said yet to roam the barren precipitous ridges south and east of San Gorgonio peak, at the heads of Mission and Whitewater cañons. We failed to find signs of them anywhere we went.

Odocoileus hemionus californicus (Caton). California Mule Deer.
Deer are becoming scarce in this region where a few years ago, from all accounts, they were plentiful. The steadily and rapidly increasing invasion of hunters each season is of course the cause of this; for their original enemies, the mountain lions and coyotes, have almost disappeared in their domain. More stringent hunting laws, and especially enforcement of whatever ones are on the statutes, will go a long way toward saving the deer from complete extermination. A five-year close season would be the best means, if adequately enforced. In all our field-work not more than half a dozen were seen each summer. I personally saw but three bucks in all of the three seasons. Does were usually seen down along the upper Santa Ana and adjacent cienegas, while the bucks were high on the ridges. I saw no signs higher than Dry lake, 9000 feet altitud; and the deer occurred down into the Upper Sonoran brush belt, the latter affording better cover than the open pine woods higher up. I had no rifle and never even shot at a deer, but the bland curiosity displayed by some of those "jumped," which led them to return over a ridge and look at me, like tame deer in the "zoo," convinced me that there would be no sport, for me, at least, in shooting one.

Sciuropterus californicus (Rhoads). San Bernardino Flying Squirrel.
Flying squirrels are doubtless far more plentiful than one would judge from our experiences with them. None of my party ever saw one outside of a trap, and they were reported by campers and others very rarely. Their strictly nocturnal habits doubtless account for this. We heard of flying squirrels having been caught at Bear lake, on Fish creek, and on Barton (or Hathaway) flats. In the last case ............

The last individual I took back to Pasadena alive, and it lived in my mother's house, a very attractive pet, until April 24, 1907, when it died and I skinned it. It had been allowed the freedom of an upper screen porch,......

Lepus texianus deserticola Mearns. Desert Jack Rabbit.
Jack rabbits, solely of this species, were common in the sage flats about Doble and the north end of Baldwin Lake, 6800 to 7200 feet altitude, where examples were secured and preserved in August, 1905. They were also noted at Saratoga springs, .......

Sorex ornatus Merriam. Adorned Shrew.
Shrews may occur along most of the permanent streams of the San Bernardino mountains, and I do not doubt that diligent and prolonged trapping would result in their discovery very generally in favorable places. But in all our trappings we succeeded in securing shrews only in the vicinity of Bluff lake, 7500 feet altitude. In several other likely places, such as the extensive Boreal meadows at the head of the south fork of the Santa Ana, we tried every sort of bait we could think of-earthworms, meat, bird brains-but to no avail. And the shrews we did get finally were caught in traps baited with rolled oats. In two cienegas near Bluff lake, the latter part of July and the first part of September, 1905, we were trapping assduously for meadow mice. The open runways of these animals through the grass and beneath the rank Veratrum herbage were plentiful, and in these we placed our little "gee-whiz" and "sure-catch" mouse traps, b aited mostly with rolled oats. July 18 a female shrew was caught; three males on July 20; and September 2, a male. in all but the last case the shrews were found in the traps at noon (the traps having been visited in the morning), or before dark in the evening. Only the September victim was found in the morning. It would seem from this that these little animals do a great deal of their foragin in the daytime. They got into our traps hardly for the sake of bait, but because the traps were set in roads the shrews were in the habit of following.

I fail to see any difference between these San Bernardino mountain specimens and some from Mt. Pinos, the type locality of ornatus.

Sorex ornatus Merriam. Adorned Shrew.
Two immature examples of a small pocket moust are with scarcely any doubt referred to this form. One (No. 1412) was taken on teh desert at Cushenberry springs August 12, 1905; and the other (No. 1442) at cactus Flat, also on the desert side of the mountains, August 16.

An immature Perognathus was found partially eaten in a trap in the sage tract at the north base of Sugarloaf, 7500 feet altitude, August 22, but I have no idea what species it belonged to. [Roy van de Hoek notes that this pocket mouse may be very close to extinction. Joseph Grinnell found a pocket mouse that is written about in the above narrative and that scientists believe is extremely rare and may already be extinct All development of any kind in the Big Bear Lake area must be stopped until we know the status and how to protect this very rare pocket mouse from extinction. The National Forest Service should not allow there to be fern collecting permits to be issued to Korean people or any other person because this rare pocket mouse was last collected near these areas. No removal of any sagebrush or even pines, including dead pines or beetle-infested pines must be removed until it is known that it will not impact the White-eared Pocket Mouse.]

THE REPTILES
During each of the three summers constant lookout was maintained for previously unnoted reptiles, and for items of interest in distribution and habitat. Aside from the Pacific rattlesnake, garter snake, and mountain lizard, reptilian species were rare above the Upper Sonoran Zone. But in that zone species and individuals were fairly numerous. Out of twenty species recorded, four were found only in the Lower Sonoran zone on the desert base of the mountains, one was found only in the Transition zone, fifteen were found in the Upper Sonoran zone on the Pacific side of the mountains, where most of our work was done.

About 160 specimens were taken and these are now deposited in the reptile collection of the University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Most of them were captured by noosing. They were then put into a mixture of 4 per cent. formalin in 70 per cent. alcohol for permanent preservation. I found this treatment satisfactory in all cases.

Crotaphytus baileyi Stejnger. Baily Leopard Lizard.
I "auxed" a specimen of this species at about 5000 feet altitude in the cañon between Cactus Flat and Cushenberry springs on the desert slope of the mountains, August 14, 1905. It is 11 1/8 inches in length; the black transverse bands across the shoulders are unusually broad and distinct for the species, and the posterior one is continuous across the nape.

Uta stansburiana Baird & Girard. Brown-shouldered Lizard.
This lizard was numerous all along the lower Santa Ana and Mill Creek. It was noted June 12 on the brushy slopes west of Clarke's ranch, and occurred more sparingly along the upper Santa Ana from Seven Oaks as high at least as the mouth of Fish creek, 6500 feet altitude. Specimens were taken at the latter point the middle of June, 1905. The brown-shouldered lizard appears to be confined to the Upper and Lower Sonoran zones. SELECTED WRITINGS: Joseph Grinnell
Joseph Grinnell Anthology

Preliminary Analysis and Concluding Remarks
by
Robert Jan van de Hoek
Vertebrate Zoology, Geographer, Naturalist

Joseph Grinnell was a fine scientist and naturalist and his writings and observations regarding the fauna of the San Bernardino Mountains are invaluable to the naturalist and biologist living today in the new millenium of 2003. In essence, it has been nearly 100 years since Joseph Grinnell recorded the fauna and some flora of the San Bernardino Mountains.

My research focus has a historical bias. In addition, I am focused on further research regarding Baldwin Lake, which was formerly Bear Lake, before a reservoir was completed by humans to impound the large wet meadow that was once the largest wetland of the San Bernardino Mountains. Once the dam was completed, the meadowy wetland was inundated and the new reservoir was called Big Bear Lake, and that resulted in the forced name change of Bear Lake to Baldwin Lake. It is hoped that in the future, the Grizzly Bear can be restored and recovered to the San Bernardino Mountains, just as the dam is removed, the reservoir drained, and the large Bear Meadow wetland brought back as it once was, less than 100 years ago. Hopefully, Baldwin Lake can have its named restored and recovered to Bear Lake as well. Of course, the California Department of Fish and Game which brought Black Bear from the Sierra Nevada to the San Bernardino Mountains will remove these alien non-native bears. It is now clear that the San Bernardino Mountains never had Black Bear, not in a thousand years, not in a million years. Only the Grizzly Brown Bear lived in the San Bernardino Mountains for thousands and thousands of years, in fact for at least 1.5 million years, which is about 10,000 times more than a century. It has been only one century since humans shot, maimed, trapped and slaughtered the last Grizzly Brown Bear of the San Bernardino Mountains.

The San Bernardino Flying Squirrel was kept as a pet for 2.7 years before it died, but it may already have been 4 months old when captured, so it is fair to state that it was minimally 4 years old, and perhaps as much as 5 years old.

As for plants, Joseph Grinnell was also interested because they are the habitat in which the vertebrate fauna lives. He collected more than 600 plants from the mountains which are numbered and dated with excellent information on elevation and location collected by him in the San Bernardino Mountains. These data found on the herbarium specimens are now stored in the herbarium of the University of California at Berkeley. I have begun a project of compiling a preliminary list of the plants collected by Joseph Grinnell. The compiled list is in its infancy as there is a need to do research at the herbarium in Berkeley to fully compile this list.

Preliminary Chronological List of Plants Collected by Joseph Grinnell
Compiled by Robert van de Hoek, 2003.
1. ?
14. Hulsea vestita ... San Bernardino Mountains, Hall 1907:201
17.
30. Senecio ionophyllus ..... Fish Creek, San Bernardino Mountains, 2000 m. alt. Hall 1907:231, wrote "(largest leaves only 1.3 cm. wide.)"
82. Arnica bernardina .... Bluff Lake. Hall 1907:233. 100. ?
200. ?
300. ?
400. ?
500. ?
600. ?

At this time, my own research focuses on the wetlands found in the San Bernardino Mountains. I am interested in the relationship of the birds, plants, amphibians, and mammals associated to wetlands. A major focus of my work is on Baldwin Lake and the Big Bear Reservoir wetlands. In addition, I am interested in the alpine ecology of the highest point of southern California. I have discovered that there are some wetlands in this alpine and subalpine zone of San Gorgonio Peak, which is more than two miles above sea level at over 11,000 feet. It is of interest that this area is delineated as wilderness and now needs further protection by being managed as a State Park or National Park. The next large mountain range to the southeast is the San Jacinto Mountains, and the highest peak there is already part of San Jacinto State Park.